Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 52: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Northern Ireland Ministers for Culture, Arts and Leisure and Regional Development in Cavan on 7 October 2007. [26499/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Inland Waterways Sectoral Format took place at the Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan, on 17 October 2007. This was the first NSMC meeting on Inland Waterways since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly.

I represented the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland delegation was represented by Mr Edwin Poots, MLA, Minister for Culture, Arts & Leisure, and Mr Conor Murphy, MLA, Minister for Regional Development.

The business of the meeting mainly covered a number of Waterways Ireland's business activities and, in particular, focused on the proposed restoration of the Clones-Upper Lough Erne section of the Ulster Canal. In that regard the meeting approved the proposal that Waterways Ireland should appoint a single entity consortium to design and construct the restoration. It noted that Waterways Ireland will establish a project team for the day-to-day management of the project, which will report monthly on progress to a Monitoring Committee chaired jointly by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. The estimated cost of the restoration works is €35m and the full capital cost will be met by the Irish Exchequer. Annual maintenance costs on the completion of the project will be met by the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. The meeting also noted that good liaison will be key to the smooth running of the project and that Waterways Ireland will engage with all key stakeholders in taking forward the project. It welcomed Waterways Ireland's intention to put in place a targeted marketing programme during construction to highlight the attractions and uniqueness of the Clones-Lough Erne stretch of the Ulster Canal. It was agreed that the NSMC should meet again in Inland Waterways Format in March 2008.